I know this topic has been revisited in the past, but I welcome suggestions on lower odor smoke alternatives to "Nada". My wife goes on the warpath when smoke from the train room goes wafting up through the house. Yes, I do even have an exhaust fan just for that room.
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My recent experience shows that the better the smoke unit, the less odor is produced. Case in point: my new LionChief Plus Camelback produces very realistic clouds of smoke with every chuff. The chuffs are powerfully driven out in a plume, and then quickly dissipate. I get almost zero odor from running this engine. But if I run my LionMaster Hudson, which produces less smoke, but is denser because of a weaker air-flow, I get immediate smell.
Solution: trade in all your old engines for new ones!
Jon
There is no alternative. It's not offensive. Even Lionel Premium has a scent.
Perhaps a "flavored" smoke fluid would achieve acceptance. What's her favorite candle scent?
I agree. Your not going to find anything with absolutely no scent at all. It also depends on the smoke unit and what kind of shape the wick is in. Even a small singe on the wick can affect the scent coming out of the stack. I think your best alternative is to find a scent that she likes. There are pleanty of choices to choose from.
While visiting my my daughter around Christmas, my grandsons train was running around the tree. He was using MTH Apple Pie in the RTR 2-8-0. Wow did that smell good. Now I went from MTH Christmas Scent to Apple Pie for being my favorite. I have also used vapor cigarette fluid with no nicotine in it, which has no back ground scent of miner oil and comes in dozens of scents, but heard even without the nicotine, the smoke is still bad for you.
Carl, Chris, Jon & Dave
My wife is not into scents or candles, and the engines I'm running lately are pretty new: Lionel Shay, MTH GP Demo, MTH GE Devo, and Lionel S3. Fortunately, both Lionel and MTH make it easy to turn off the smoke units and even adjust volume via remote control. But I was still hoping that a chemical engineer would come up with a safe, no-smell formula that would produce gobs of smoke!
Bruce
I use Clove Sensation, my wife likes the smell of it.
I'm surprised the smoke companies haven't come out with the scent of "English Leather", "Canoe" or "Old Spice" for us old guys.
For people who smoke how about "scent of cigarette/pipe/cigar" tobacco
It is interesting to discover others sense of smell. Have a friend who runs those propane radiant heaters in his garage claiming they don't smell, yet when guests enter his house they all say the smell will make you sick instantly.
Doubt there is anything that doesn't give off a scent and the fragrance will linger in the air long after the trains are done operating. Run 4 MTH diesel for a few hours and you don't need air fresheners anymore. Maybe you just need a bigger cfm exhaust fan! Good luck!!
I have found J.T.'S NADA to have the least offensive odor, and to dissipate quickly. My train room is a small spare bedroom with an 86" X 90" layout. I recognize that perception of odors, as well as sounds, are very subjective, and some folks are more sensitive to certain smells than others. Nevertheless, I stand by my wholehearted recommendation of NADA!
Bruce,
Pat's Trains used to sell their own line of smoke fluid including a non-scented version. It says specifically your "wife will not yell at you".
P&P's Super Mist Premium Smoke Fluid
It seems to be out of stock but you could ask them if they plan to have more.
Craig
Craig,
Thanks. I sent them a note asking if it was a rebranded version of Nada or some new formulation.
Bruce
I love the Mega Smoke “smoke pellet “smell. My wife likes it too.
Since we have three cats, if they could come out with "2-day-old Kitty Litter Smoke" my wife probably wouldn't detect it.
Bruce: I have two cats, and that is too funny! LOL!
Get rid of the wife and keep the smoke going!!
With over 50 scents, I would think that one would be pleasant for your wife. I run as much heavy smoke as possible on my layout but within the context of what is ethical, moral and legal, I do what I want, when I want and don't take orders from my wife or anyone else. I use the Meg-Steam coal scent for realism and Coffee scent for fun. Almost everyone drinks coffee so who would not find that pleasant?
I got coal fired steam mega smoke. Works good. Makes your eyes water lol
Jim
I guess the coal scent would be a good cover for "crop dusting"! LOL!